Swatch Moonwatch - How to buy one?

My young daughter has expressed an interest in watches and has hinted that the Swatch moonwatch might be a good place to start a collection.
She wants to use her recent internship income to purchase one. But can we find one anywhere? NO.

We live out in the sticks of rural Wiltshire, so going to London, Bristol etc each weekend is simply not viable. We have been almost every weekend since the release and are really tired of being told to come back tomorrow, when they 'might' have one.

If anyone can help me to find one, please let me know. I have looked at Ebay and they are changing hands for quite a lot of money - almost a used Omega Moonwatch back in the day....

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...g?v=1648722480

I think the only options are go to the store and hope you get lucky or buy secondhand and pay market rate. You could also put up a want to buy advert here, there are a few posted already with members trying to get one.

Honestly, might be worth encouraging her to start with something else.

The Moonswatch isn't robust or well made IMO. Put that money into entry level Seiko/Orient/Hamilton/Tissot etc and she'd get a much nice watch that'll last. Just my 2 cents.

There's one on SC

I've popped into times square Swatch three times since I got here last week. First time nothing. Second time they had four different variants, so I bought Jupiter. Popped in again today and nothing at all.

I'll be honest though it kinda felt like they did have stock but didn't want to sell it to me. I could be being paranoid though?

Not really a great deal of help but I walked into the swatch store in Barcelona a few weeks ago there were no queues, no fuss, no other customers and they had 3 different models in stock.
The hype is dying down, just wait it out, in 6 months they will be in stock, and IMHO in more swatch stores around the country.
But frankly better watches are available.

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Originally Posted by raceboy

Not really a great deal of help but I walked into the swatch store in Barcelona a few weeks ago there were no queues, no fuss, no other customers and they had 3 different models in stock.
The hype is dying down, just wait it out, in 6 months they will be in stock, and IMHO in more swatch stores around the country.
But frankly better watches are available.

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Couldn’t disagree with any of that.

Lots of sense so far.

Buying new is hit and miss, and in the UK, only London, Glasgow and Edinburgh shops are stocking. I've passed by the CG store a few times, always unlucky (although yesterday I could have bought a Venus if I'd wanted one, but I don't. On reflection, I should have bought and offered on here for cost + postage...)

Used, there is a price gradient. You can pick up a Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Sun, Pluto, Uranus for <£300 easily now, on eBay or StockX. Moon and Mercury are maintaining high resale (£400+), and Neptune is still very expensive, due to lack of availabilty (they stopped production for a while).

As to quality, you have to remember this is a Swatch that looks like a Speedy. The quality is Swatch... they are light and the bioceramic is very plastic-like. The main chrono hand tends to reset to the side of 0. Much like most Swatch chronos! As a (fairly) cheap bit of fun, I love them. I've had and moved on a Jupiter and Mars, hung onto a Sun and Pluto. I'm thinking about adding a Uranus or Earth, if one comes along at the right price.

I don't like the OEM straps, move straight onto a NATO. Their light weight lends itself to those, and you can get some good colour combos.

They are over-priced for a Swatch chrono v other models, but the Speedy angle, I think, makes that just about ok. I am happy to pay a bit over RRP, but not huge amounts. Ironically, the grey models appeal less to me- I've owned several Speedy Pros, and don't want a watch that looks like them. I prefer the more whacky colour schemes!

My two, for interest.

https://i.imgur.com/ieoilfU.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by raceboy

Not really a great deal of help but I walked into the swatch store in Barcelona a few weeks ago there were no queues, no fuss, no other customers and they had 3 different models in stock.
The hype is dying down, just wait it out, in 6 months they will be in stock, and IMHO in more swatch stores around the country.
But frankly better watches are available.

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They feel cheap on the wrist and for the money far better watches available.

Despite the above, which I can only agree with, Mrs Beanie wants one (Uranus? oooerrr) for her holiday watch. She usually wears a smartwatch and prefers it's lack of weight, which is why she is pulling her face at her Steinhart ocean one 39mm, which I bought her for our last holiday. She really wanted it at that point because of the MOP bezel/dial.
I don't expect to be making a speculative visit to a Swatch store imminently, and I guess they still can't be bought online. My options seem to be at Heathrow, Orchard Rd Singapore, or when we get to Oz (Sydney, Cairns, Brisbane). Of course, if the same hype applies there, she will be disappointed and I will be in the doghouse.
She did suggest we could have his-and-hers but that's not going to happen.

Easiest way to source one is to buy on the resale market, and pay accordingly (unless a kind person here can help). The alternative is to chance your luck at one of the stores. Given your location, the latter might not be possible.

Also, ignore the 'you could get something with an automatic movement / helium release valve / screw-down crown for the money' brigade. Outside of the enthusiast's echo chamber, people generally buy the items they want and/or that are regarded by their peers.

I bought one this week for £270.
So £207 RRP, plus getting to London, travel, fuel, train, tube etc.
it was just easier to get it from ebay and pay the guy the asking price.
arrived this week, super clean and with all the bits

I bought one for my wife from Chrono24 - €50 more than retail price including delivery

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Originally Posted by uktotty

I bought one this week for £270.
So £207 RRP, plus getting to London, travel, fuel, train, tube etc.
it was just easier to get it from ebay and pay the guy the asking price.
arrived this week, super clean and with all the bits

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RRP is now £218, FWIW.

Hi all

Glasgow store has mars earth sun and Pluto in stock

Thought it might help someone


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The store doesn’t know when will arrive the next number of watches in the way that in that moment the people inside the store can buy and no queue waiting will be there.


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Hamburg had some limited stock when I was on business last month. Alternatively offer some lowball figures for the eBay crowd and hope someone bites.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by uktotty

I bought one this week for £270.
So £207 RRP, plus getting to London, travel, fuel, train, tube etc.
it was just easier to get it from ebay and pay the guy the asking price.
arrived this week, super clean and with all the bits

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That's still less than I paid new, from the Swatch store in New York. With their higher RRP, sales tax, and the exchange rate, I paid just shy of £280, so I think you came out alright!

There are hundreds available on the secondary market, bite the bullet and pay over retail. I’ve bought one for my dad and brother, paid a premium for both and am pleased I did.

I popped into the Covent Garden branch yesterday at around lunch time just to have a browse and they had three models in stock at the time. They were Mars, Venus & Pluto.

As per a previous comment, you could travel to a store and queue up for one in the hope of getting the model you want or just pay a bit over the odds and get it delivered to your home. There are plenty out there to choose from and prices are dropping but just be wary as the Chinese have already made extremely good copies that are being re sold as genuine !!

Battersea power station - swatch shop - getting daily stock - had pink / yellow / red when I popped in late afternoon




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